Grace's Guide
British Industrial History
Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 148,502 pages of information and 233,941 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.
Cerebos
From Graces Guide
of Cerebos Works, Greatham, Stockton-on-Tees
The Cerebos salt company through Roberts and Patterson invented the Bisto gravy powder product (a mixture of salt, flavourings and colourings), at its salt factory.
1884 Cerebos Salt was introduced to the UK market.
1894 Cerebos Ltd (UK) was registered.
1903 The company was registered on 28 November, to amalgamate the rights for all countries in Cerebos salt and various other specialities, and to acquire salt wells and works[1].
1907 Saxa Salt was launched.
1939 Acquired John Crampton and Co, manufacturer of Paxo stuffing.[2]
1951 Acquired A. and R. Scott, maker of Scott's porridge oats.[3]
1959 Acquired Brand and Co.[4]
1962 Acquired J. A. Sharwood and Co, manufacturer of chutneys and curry sauces.[5]
1963 Acquired Hugon and Co, manufacturer of Atora suet.[6]
1966 Agreement with Staveley Industries Ltd to merge their manufacturing and bulk vacuum salt interests[7] which was incorporated in new private company British Salt Ltd, one-quarter owned by Cerebos. A new salt works would be constructed in the Sandbach-Middlewich area.
1968 Acquired by Ranks Hovis McDougall in an agreed take-over.[8]. As well as being involved in agricultural products and raw materials, Cerebos owned brands such as Cerebos and Saxa salt, Bisto gravy, Paxo stuffing, Brands soups and pastes, Scott's porridge oats, Crampton gravy browning, Hugon (Atora) shredded suets, Sharwood's Indian, Chinese and SE Asian sauces, and Stamina pet foods[9].
2008 Saxa was the UK's favourite brand of salt.